American Cultural History since 1865 - Essay Example

American Cultural History since 1865: Final Exam Curse Position: As a result of modern change in the late 19th and 20th centuries, American culture became more fragmented, heterogeneous, and oriented toward dissent. Introduction Cultural dissent is a situation where one culture is interpreted differently, leading to a disagreement between believers. Take the example of the Muslim culture. Some Muslims still respect the wearing of veils among women, while some do not give it value, but still consider themselves Muslims. This is the case with the American culture. American is a society with various respected beliefs about its common practices and beliefs. The belief about family values has changed, and the society currently accepts divergent beliefs about the composition of a family. Homosexuals and lesbians are allowed to adopt children, while this was never acceptable before the 19th century. Americans came to realize that dissent is good for the nation. Through opposition, the country can identify the areas that need change, and the right direction through which the change should be guided. Eventually, American culture evolved into various subcultures based on people’s opinions and practices. American culture became heterogeneous. This paper will describe how the modern changes of the late 19th and 20th centuries contributed to a fragmented and heterogeneous culture. American Culture’s Fragmentation, Heterogeneity, and Orientation toward Dissent In the early 19th century backwards to the early centuries, the society was divided into two sections; between the rich and the poor. There were physical divisions as well as divisions based on values and ideas. The rich thought that they were untouchable, and it was the responsibility of the poor man to take a lower position in the society, for him to be rich and stay on top. The rich thought that the poor had no right to fight for freedom or try to get rich. The society according to them was perfect as it was. They had accumulated enough wealth to keep them on top for periods of time. Any grievances by the poor people were considered a nuisance, ridiculous, and an obstacle to achieving the aims of the rich. A rich person, for example, in the 1880s or even before, could have had aims of building a new home or constructing new working sites. Workers’ strikes at the time would be a nuisance because they disrupted the progress of such projects. To them, whatever the poor were fighting for was impossible. The perception of strikes at the time is that strikes were a nuisance; they were a waste of the employers’ time and money. They were a threat to the society. The perception of strikes in the current society, however, is different. It is viewed as people fighting for their rights and it is also considered legally right. The class structure in the early centuries before the 19th century was so conspicuous with clear disagreements between the rich and the poor, and between the educated and the illiterate, among other divisions. These differences were distinct but normal. Even those who, found themselves in the top class of the society after climbing up treated those below the same way they were treated before they climbed to the top. It is believed that the industrial revolution solved the labor problem and brought additional changes to the American culture. The labor problem in this case refers to the strikes that used to happen back then. It seems the employers, and the people from the rich class did not understand the reason the laborers got involved in strikes at the time. This is why in one of the stores, Bellamy’s1, the story teller from the previous century, inquires about how the current society has managed to solve the labor problem. The answer he received from a citizen of the current society shows that America has undergone a transformation, to the extent that the nation no longer experiences the labor problem. It is indicated that the industrial revolution solved the labor problem and that the society recognized the changes, cooperated with the changes, and the problem vanished. This answer shows that, before the industrial revolution, the perception of strikes was that it was a labor problem, but after the industrial revolution and more years later, Americans learnt to deal with the situation. It does not mean that there are no labor problems; it means that new changes came with new ideas which assisted in solving what was previously considered a problem, and new perceptions about such problems. Labor strikes are no longer considered a problem, but an indication of employees fighting for their rights. America has evolved to the extent that environmental conservation has become a social responsibility. Individual health has also almost become a social responsibility. The amount of money spent of management and treatment of diseases is a factor to consider when planning for the nation’s welfare. Any employer, therefore, who violated any rules regarding preserving the environment, and endangering the health of the citizens, was to be held responsible. The current American society is characterized by high level of democracy and freedom, which allows even one employee to file a law suit against an entire company. This was not possible before the industrial revolution. Because of the existence of such laws, America has seen the reduction of strikes by laborers demanding their rights. There are laws that have been formulated over time to protect the employees and the public. The nation has developed to a state where management of such cases, is under certain laws, and is monitored by civil rights organizations, and the government. In the 1880s, labor troubles were just the strikes, and they were considered so because of the association of such strikes with labor organizations. These labor organizations made the strikes fearsome, because they would disrupt production hence profits, and in turn, the economy. In the current century, the labor organizations are still great but they have developed a different way of fighting for the employees’ rights. A new culture emerged after the modern changes. It was established that labor strikes were as a result of fear from the workers, of being exploited and taken back to the previous era of incapacitation. The people feared that, with increased power among the few rich and their inability to improve their welfare, they would be taken back to a state where they will be incapable of fighting even for the basic rights. With the industrial revolution and modernization, Americans realized that the cause of strikes was increased accumulation of capital among the rich, which was making them capable of buying even the small businesses that the poor and middle class had established. Lack of strikes in the previous years is explained by the existence of close employer employee relations, and the ease of an employer to become an employer with little capital. After industrialization, there was an accumulation of capital that made it difficult for people with little income to set up businesses of their own. This means that the employees remained dependent on their employers and were vulnerable to exploitation again. This state rendered the employees powerless and insignificant to very powerful corporations. Formation of labor unions was in self defense. These realizations led to the formation of new cultures such as the involvement of government in the supervision of private corporation’s activities. The governments role also transformed; from the culture of keeping peace, and protecting the citizens from the enemy through the police and the military; to a culture which recognized cold, hunger, and nakedness, as the public enemies. The government’s function after the modern revolution changed the American culture in various ways. Before the late nineteenth century, the government was not entrusted with any private corporations which were considered important for the nation’s economy. This was because the people knew that political leaders and even government officials were corrupt, and would use these resources for private gain. After the industrial revolution, things changed over time as explained by Bellamy2. American people changed from being restrained to being risk takers and good managers. After recognizing the effect of placing private corporations under government management, the nation eventually came up with a system that monitored federal and state employees and political leaders. This gave them minimal chances of taking government resources for self gain. A new culture was formed; the culture of preserving and managing government resources well, and restraining from corruption and exploitation of government property. Modernity brought changes in people’s involvement, in economic activities and perceptions. More women could now engage in what was only left to the men. They were employed and even fought to visit entertainment places that the society preserved for the men only. Because of this, women changed from home reserved mothers to career women who were free to go to work and bring back home their earnings. This meant that Americans had to develop a new culture of having nannies at home to look after the children when the childrens mother went to work. This evolved over time to form a new system of nannies, which has developed into a form of career. In America, there are professional nannies trained by qualified institutions. Caring for the children is no longer left to the mother’s natural instincts. It has been changed into a new profession, with those offering the services given specific skills the society has found necessary. Middle class modern women can now fund their own entertainment activities, and go to restaurants, pubs, parks and other related places for leisure without social resistance. In the previous centuries, women were confined to homes. An initial step towards such initiative by middle class women was termed ‘cheap amusement’. These ‘cheap amusements’ were the beginning of a new American culture where feminism would thrive3. Women then formed various organizations to fight for their rights, and philosophical notions about equality. A new American culture now recognizes the value of a woman in the society as unique in its own way, and that which also contributes to the development of the society. An open minded culture was developed. This open mindedness has also come to accept single mother families, lesbianism, and homosexuality. In the early 19th century and the earlier centuries, the society’s acceptable family consisted of a father, a mother and children. Single mothers were not given the respect they are given today. Homosexuality was not even an issue to be mentioned in public, and neither was lesbianism. The conditions of human life drove the changes in human motive, and human motive changed the culture, but the human nature does not change. The conditions of human life were brought about by modernity that changed people’s way of thinking, and this has contributed to the new cultures in the society. Conclusion America is composed of people from various cultures, and this is one of the sources of its heterogeneity. After the World Wars, America experienced changes in the society and culture due to the development of new technology, the manner in which it treated women and the minority, and changes in the economy. These are the characteristics that have changed the living conditions of the people, and their perceptions about life. Perceptions about life and experiences have in turn led to the creation of new cultures in America causing the national culture to disintegrate, and become more heterogeneous. Because of disintegration and heterogeneity, American culture is then considered as oriented towards dissent. The orientation towards dissent, however is a good thing because it nurtures democracy and freedom, which contribute to the development of the nation. This paper has discussed the role of modern changes in creating various American cultures. The culture of American family, composed of a father, mother and children, has changed. The culture of labor unions causing problems by their commands is gone and replaced with labor unions with negotiating powers. The culture of women having no right in offices and political position is replaced by a culture that appreciates the gender, and even accommodates others such as transgender people. American culture as changed to become more heterogeneous. Bibliography Bellamy, E. Looking Backward, 2000-1887. New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2008. Peiss, Kathy. Cheap Amusements: Working Women and Leisure in Turn-of-the-Century New York. Temple University Press, 2011. Read More